#Battle of Knockdown

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1504 – Battle of Knockdown | Battle of Axe Hill.

The Battle of Knockdoe took place on 19 August 1504 at Knockdoe, in the Parish of Lackagh, Co Galway, between two Anglo-Irish lords—Gerald FitzGerald, Earl of Kildare, the Lord Deputy of Ireland, and Ulick Fionn Burke, Lord of Clanricarde — along with their respective Irish allies. The cause was a dispute between Maelsechlainn mac Tadhg Ó Cellaigh, King of Ui Maine and Clanricarde. The major…

[gijoe-forever]

Knockdown, Blaster, Dodger, Maverick and Blocker

[smashedpages]

In 1999, superhero fans got something they always wanted to see -- a knockdown, drag-out battle between the Hulk and Superman, and one drawn by Steve Rude, to boot! The Incredible Hulk vs. Superman was written by Roger Stern and inked by Al Milgrom, and it came out in that late-1990s period when Marvel and DC were regularly bringing their characters together for epic confrontations.

[southern-gothic-comic]

Page 31

Next 💜 Back 🖤 First

(Author Notes)

Panel 1: They observe a very impressive pumpkin being shown off by a proud halfling farmer of about the same height.

Laudna: You could make a lot of soup with that.

Imogen: Mm-hmm. Lotta soup.

Farmer: nice to see young folks appreciatin’ the good things in life

Panel 2: They look at some prize-winning horses.

Laudna: You should have entered your horse! I’m sure she would have won. Flora is far prettier than all of these ones.

Imogen: We did use to do that. Flora even got a second-place ribbon once. Nowadays we don’t really like drawin’ attention to ourselves, though.

Panel 3: They walk around arm in arm. A traveling katari “wizard” is juggling Dancing Lights. A “mind reader” supposedly from Ank’harel is impressing people, sparking indignation from Imogen.

Imogen: Oh, so it’s okay if he does it?

Laudna: I don’t think he’s even from Ank’harel.

“Mind Reader”: Ah, yes! The Three of Wands!

His Thoughts: small-town buffoons will believe anything

Small-Town Buffoon: well I’ll be

Panel 4: In the foreground, we see a child playing with a simple sillgoat marionette. Laudna seizes Imogen’s arm in delight.

Laudna: Imogen! That goat! I must have one!

Imogen: That li'l puppet? Bet we can find one around here . . .

Laudna: For Pâté! He can ride it into battle!

Imogen: All right, let’s go see if we can find Pâté a steed.

Panel 5: On the midway they find a section of games, including a “dragon race” with lizards which some children are eagerly observing and a Three Billy Goats Gruff-themed bottle knockdown game with the coveted goat puppets on display.

Oldest Child: Blue! Blue!

Middle Child: Green! Green!

Youngest Child: (looking at Laudna) A ghost??

Carnie: (nervously) . . . Try your luck, little lady?

[moonshynecybin]

PEDRENZO TOXIC RIVALRY YEARS FORCED PROXIMITY CURSE. TELL ME MORE

YAYYYY okay so. for dani and jorge it HAS to be after one of the most intense races of their lives. don’t ask me which I DO NOT KNOW ! i’ll leave it up to you to decide if one fits specifically but it was CRUCIALLY a knockdown drag out fucking fight. high effort. satisfying. one millionnnnn overtakes. and eventually they BOTH podium, and the race was so bananas —kinetic and tense and somewhere HOT— that they feel like the blood in their veins is legitimately made of GASOLINE— and they HATE each other at this point, but on days like this the space between them is also filled with this like. singular electricity that makes them feel like NOTHING else. the emotional release of a hard won battle… all of those endorphins panting shiny with sweat sticky with champagne… critical awareness of where the other is at all times, leftover from the track… and then they DO decide to shake hands on the podium and there’s. a moment. a spark. something a bit different than static electricity, but not far off. and they don’t think anything of it until after the race, when dani is about to get whisked away by honda to debrief— and jorge shouldn’t even notice when dani walks away but he DOES, he can FEEL it, and something prickles and begins to TEAR. jorge feels some deep instinctual part of himself seize up with panic, and theres a shout from dani’s direction and suddenly jorge’s body is moving without his permission and he’s got dani’s face in his hands and big brown eyes are looking up at him and they are fucking ANGRY. and it’s then that he knows something is very very veryyyyy wrong.

and off they go to the motogp doctors™️ ! who are like. yep! you’re cursed ! (magic ass universe where looney tunes shit like this occasionally happens to riders who ride the edge of rivalry a little too hard. rosquez have gods biggest storm coming for them in a few years.) so you have to stay as physically close as possible to each other for a couple of months!! it’ll hopefully pass. these curses don’t effect in track stuff really so you’re are both cleared to ride 🤗👍 and PEDRENZO are both like. you have to be FUCKING kidding me. dani sitting there picking at his fingernails COMPLETELY shut down and jorge just posture tight frown dialed to ELEVEN tiny little stormcloud over their heads :) and they’re holding hands because it’s the only way they don’t feel like live ants are under their skin :) THEN the doctor is like. and you guys should probably share a bed :)

and it’s rough at the beginning! they are both VERY stubborn and while dani remains the people’s princess i think when he was younger he had the capacity to just. shut the fuck down when he was pissed. close off. and jorge is NOT shy about how uncomfortable he is about the whole thing so he’s dialed the cuntress factor allll the way up. and there’s no quick fix! it’s just time! and dani is also SELF ADMITTED !!! not a patient person. SO i IMAGINE sitting next to jorge in bed and imagining himself attempting to suffocate in his most evilest of enemy’s tits is FUN but is also not a SOLUTION. action oriented guy methinks. loves solving a problem hates when the only solution is WAIT. so it ends up being this escalating arms race of belligerent horny tension where they’re literally living in each other’s pockets holding hands touching ankles sleeping in the same bed and being TORTUROUSLY aware of the other’s body the ENTIRE time. every SLIVER of skin contact i feels like a brand. passing dani in the kitchen reaching for cereal and jorge brushes a hand on dani’s waist to lean and he feels CRAZY. INSANE. that kind of stuff. and eventually i think dani (NOT PATIENT !) fucking snaps and just. jumps him. might as well make the fucking lemonade if you have the goddamn lemons !!

the REAL problem os after the curse gets lifted (of course. the second after they fuck.) when they are USED to each other’s presence and have begun to realize how much they COMPLIMENT each other and suspect (creeping at the edges of awareness) that this mighttttt be love. but they know the other was only around for months because they were literally cursed. and now they are free to go back to the status quo. where rivalry is expected. what do they do…

[theterribletenno]

Endymion the Shepherd Warframe

I was genuinely surprised to see Endymion perform so well, handily scoring a joint first place with Macbeth in the first round. Can't seem to fathom what made Endymion work where the old "Duviri Beastmaster" fell short. It must have been the tightness of Endymion's scope, choosing to do fewer things but do them better.

The method for obtaining Endymion and her signature primary weapon the Orpheus is slightly complex. Every time the player(s) complete a Duviri animal conservation, Tamm hearding, or Corrupted Jackal assassination objective they will be rewarded with a Tamm Horn. Tamm Horn rewards are doubled if playing steel path. Players can then exchange their collected Tamm Horns with Mathila in her courtier form at her farm during any spiral other than joy. Mathila's Tamm Horn exchange options are as follows

Endymion blueprint (6 Tamm Horns)

Endymion chassis blueprint (6 Tamm Horns)

Endymion neuroptics blueprint (6 Tamm Horns)

Endymion systems blueprint (6 Tamm Horns)

Orpheus blueprint (4 Tamm Horns)

Orpheus barrel (4 Tamm Horns)

Orpheus reciever (4 Tamm Horns)

Orpehus stock (4 Tamm Horns)

1 Aya (6 Tamm Horns)

Ayatan Hemakara Sculpture (8 Tamm Horns)

Ayatan Zambuka Sculpture (8 Tamm Horns)

Random Riven Mod (10 Tamm Horns, limit 1 per day)

Health: 500 (600 at rank 30) Shields: 100 (200 at rank 30) Armor: 500 Energy: 150 (200 at rank 30) Sprint Speed: 0.9

Passive: Each of Endymion's abilities can be used in one of two ways: tap to cast as a buff for Endymion, or hold to summon one of Endymion's battle Tamms. These two modes are mutually exclusive, if the buff from an ability is activated while its associated Tamm is summoned the Tamm will disappear, and if the Tamm is summoned the buff offered by that ability will be disabled. Each active buff improves damage dealt by summoned Tamms by 10% and each active Tamm increases the intensity of currently active buffs by 10%.

By default each of Endymion's summoned Tamm have twice her max health, half of her shields, and armor equal to hers. The AI behavior of these Tamms is based on regular animal companions such as Kubrow and Kavats. The Tamm's standard attacks deal 100 times 1+X (where X is equal to the enemy's level divided by 10) impact damage with 20% status chance, 20% critical chance, and a 2x critical multiplier. The Tamms also have a special ramming attack with a 15 second cooldown which can be used on enemies that are between 10 and 20 meters away which deals double damage and is guaranteed to stagger the target. Each Tamm has special characteristics that separate it from the others. Summoned Tamms last for 20 seconds or until killed. If a Tamm takes fatal damage there will be a 10 second delay before it can be summoned again.

Ability 1: Michael the Unstoppable, 50 energy (summon) or 25 energy to activate plus 3 per second (buff toggle).

When Endymion embodies the strength of her legendary Tamm Michael she becomes an unstoppable force, recklessly crashing through enemies with ease. While the buff The Unstoppable is active Endymion becomes immune to stagger and knockdown while also dealing 300 impact damage to enemies she runs into with a guaranteed stagger, causing the enemy to stumble away from her.

As a summon Michael's unique attribute is his immunity to status effects, knockdowns, and staggers.

Ability 2: Raphael the Swift, 50 energy (summon) or 25 energy to activate plus 3 per second (buff toggle).

Raphael's agility is legendary as the swiftest of Endymion's Tamms and by embodying him she can borrow this great swiftness. While the buff The Swift is active Endymion's sprint speed & parkour velocity is increased by 30%, and her jump height is increased by 50%. Both of these effects scale with ability strength.

Unlike the other legendary Tamms, Raphael's ramming attack has a minimum range of 5 meters, maximum range of 30, and a cooldown of 10 seconds allowing him to make use of it more often.

Ability 3: Gabriel the Unwavering, 50 energy (summon) or 25 energy to activate plus 3 per second (buff toggle).

Gabriel is one of Endymion's most fearless Tamms, with his tremendous strength of body and spirit he is perhaps most worthy to be hailed as a legendary beast. While the buff version of this ability - The Unwavering - is active Endymion gains 25% bonus armor and regenerates 40 health per second. Bonus armor from this ability ramps up by 5% every 5 seconds, up to a maximum bonus of 50%.

Compared to the other Tamms Gabriel has 1.5x more health, shields, and armor, making him easily the most durable of them all.

Ability 4: Phanuel the Raging, 50 energy (summon) or 25 energy to activate plus 3 per second (buff toggle).

Phanuel's story is told most often of the four legendary Tamms in Endymion's flock, for he was born disfigured, a tragic runt with no horns. The great shepherd Endymion used her unknown powers to heal his deformity and make him strong, giving him not just the majestic curved horns of a Tamm, but making them unbreakable, with a deadly serrated edge. When Endymion enbraces The Raging of Phanuel she gains a multiplicative +150% weapon damage bonus which applies to all of her equipped weapons. This bonus ramps up by 5% every 5 seconds up to a maximum of +200%.

Phanuel's unique characteristic when summoned is his attack damage. Instead of a base value of 100 impact damage Phanuel's tooth-bladed horns deal 50 points each of impact, puncture, and slash damage for a total of 150 points before applying the level-scaling multiplier. Furthermore Phanuel's attacks have their critical and status chance increased from 20% to 30%.

Subsumed ability: Raphael the Swift

Signature Weapons Orpheus: Endymion's signature primary weapon categorized as a shotgun with a held-beam style trigger. The Orpheus is quite different from other beam shotguns, firing only a single beam which deals abnormally high damage in a large spherical blast radius of 6 meters at the point of contact or beam termination allowing it to hit multiple enemies at once. Both of these advantages are offset by its extremely short maximum reach of only 12 meters and its unusually slow ramp-up compared to other beam weapons. Damage ramps up from 15% to 100% over 1.0 seconds when firing. After firing stops for 0.8 seconds, the damage decays back to 15% over 1.5 seconds. The Orpheus also has an abnormally thick beam allowing for easier contact with enemy bodies. To better support continuous fire the Orpheus has a very large magazine offset by a slow reload. Orpheus deals pure magnetic damage with high critical chance and above average critical multiplier at the cost of very low status chance. As Endymion's signature shotgun the Orpheus's damage decay takes 3 seconds instead of 1.5 when she wields it. Pan: Endymion's signature melee weapon, a pair of beastly fists used for barbaric hand-to-hand combat. The Pan fists can be unlocked for the Drifter's use in Teshin's cave in exchange for 50 Pathos Clamps. Doing so unlocks the Pan's blueprint for Warframe use which is crafted using a variety of Duviri materials. Pan has a quick attack speed at the cost of below-normal damage, deals mostly slash damage with moderate puncture and impact, and has very high status chance at the cost of low critical chance and below average critical multiplier. Guarding heavy attacks with Pan perform a double-fisted ground slam, pumping energy into the ground which then erupts upwards beneath all enemies in a 10 meter radius around the wielder. This eruption applies a guaranteed heat status proc and launches enemies into the air causing them to become ragdolled momentarily. There is a 30 second cooldown on this special attack which is reduced by 1 second each time the wielder scores a melee kill. As Endymion's signature melee weapon heavy attacks gain +20% heavy attack efficiency when she wields it.

Closing Notes: Endy's four Tamms are named after the four angels "who stands before God in the Book of Enoch (ca. 300 BC)" Aside from that Endymion, Orpheus, and Pan are all shepherds from legend or myth. Nothing else here is really a big clever Easter egg. The overall idea I was chasing down with this design was a monstrous tank. With all four buffs toggled on Endy is a juggernaut, and with all four Tamms summoned she's a zookeeper. Of course finding your personal favorite combination of buffs and Tamms is where her real core gameplay loop is going to come from. And then I gave her a novel shotgun to pair with that juggernaut playstyle. I genuinely think that Endy has a kit that everyone will use in their own special way and not just enslave themselves to the meta. Also GOD DAMN this is a big wall of text. Do you love the color of the sky type of post.

[therosiestofrubys]

Battle Axes is more or less the same, beyond me trying to smooth it out and the second hit of the MP version now also doing knockdown on hit. Also kept the ability to ladder them up from the LP thru HP versions on hit, which will probably stay unless it turns really bad somehow.

[theanticool]

Ray Ford at the bell! Stops Otabek Kholmatov with 7 seconds left!

Banger fight!!!! Raymond Ford, who was down on my scorecard, battles back with huge pressure in the 12th to stop Kholmatov.

I had Kholmatov winning at least 7 rounds heading into the 12th round (could be argued 8 imo) but Ford was fighting a smart fight after a slow start. Got on the front foot in the 4th and tried to really pressure Kholmatov backwards. Kholmatov's team seemed ok with him fighting off the back foot but it seemed clear it was not optimal for him. Ford wasn't doing much to cut the ring off but was forcing exchanges that had Kholmatov either missing and getting countered. Kholmatov eventually found his rhythm in the 9th as Ford slowed down. He even got back on the front foot, taking a lot of Ford's momentum away. Had a huge 11th round where it looked like Ford had shut down and was really pouring it on. Ford got cut open below the eye (apparently from a head clash) and it just did not look good for him. Then he just started stalking Kholmatov relentlessly in the 12th. Kholmatov, who had not been hard to hit all fight, started breaking stance and getting visibly hurt as he tried to keep up with lateral movement. Eventually he got hit so hard he stumbled back into the ropes and grabbed Ford before falling to the ground. He got up. Ref ruled no knockdown but Ford drilled him again and Kholmatov kind of stumbled as he turned away along the ropes and the ref had seen enough.

Also, never let Bradley talk ever again. Please. Terrible.

Ray Ford is a world champion!

[malleablemusic]

unfortunately, my boyfriend unironically listens to weezer, and has caught wind about this blog. after a month of trying, he has successfully convinced me to use this album for this week's blog. let the record state that i have heard island in the sun before, as aquamarine is one of my favorite movies in the entire world (for anyone wondering, he will now be watching that fantastic piece of cinematic history with me in exchange for this post). anyways, here's my review of weezer's self titled album:

don't let go: 3/5 stars

i love when a man sings "ill be down on my knees" for some reason its just so vulnerable

loving the simp energy he is giving, whole song is just begging so far

this is transforming me into a 14 year old boy with a spiky haircut, learning guitar in my room, suddenly i want to play basketball in my driveway

his voice is very classic, especially for the music genre, but doesn't feel unique enough for me

photograph: 2.9/5 stars

i always love clapping in songs, especially in an intro

such a fun beat, i could dance around my room to this

i think he just liked getting to repeat "re-erect it" over and over

hash pipe: 4.6/5 stars

oh okay raaaangeee!!!! is this a completely different singer

feels like such a different vibe than the first two

what happens when that 14yr old spiky haired kid gets older and gains access to marijuana lmao

i didn't know weezer could be angsty this is great

"you've got your problems / i've got my eyes wide / you've got your big g's / i've got my hash pipe" he's truly speaking words of wisdom

island in the sun: 5/5 stars

it is very hard for me to separate this song from the film that means so very much to me (aquamarine) so i simply will not be

the pure joy and light and love this song exudes its insane

i am instantly transported to a beach, in a bikini and big shirt, hair damp and sun-bleached, off a margarita and dancing in the sunset

i am obsessed with the guitar solo and need to learn how to play just for this

the way he sings "we'll never feel bad anymoreeee" !! IM HEALED

crab: .1/5 stars

okay continuing with the beach theme

brb googling what it means to crab?

according to the internet they're just complaining about the women. ok way to let me down after one of my favorite songs ever

is this just a man upset a woman won't sleep with him

"crab at the booty / 'taint gonna do no good" shutttt uppp ! just shut up (:

this is really gonna lower the album's average huge L for them

knockdown dragout: 2.5/5 stars

lyrics are kind of giving nothing, repetitive

i do enjoy the guitar, they always eat with that, but this is kind of boring

smile: 2.8/5 stars

i like his little belting when he sings "'cause i don't wanna break"

the guitar solos in this album !! even the short ones, so good

follows the common theme i see of wanting a girl to give him a chance...

simple pages: 2.8/5 stars

yup okay another song asking a girl to give him a chance - truly, i get it, and this is a valid form of art you go sir, i just do not see myself listening to this kinda music

i do enjoy pining every once in a while do not get me wrong

another bangin guitar solo

feels like i don't have much to say about this..

glorious day: 3/5 stars

angsty nerdy boy decides its time to finally make a move and ask a girl out

i like these kinds of weezer songs more, the "grittier" sound

giving angry high school band in a battle of the bands competition

o girlfriend: 2/5 stars

i think what i don't like about them is while their sound is good and i enjoy it, the lyrics are truly so generic and not special

i think I said this in an earlier post, and i am not trying to be disparaging, but an AI chatbot could've easily written this in 30 seconds- i just don't believe he's actually hurt and grieving a love, i want to feel the artists genuine pain, this does not sound like a man torn apart

sadly, i was very underwhelmed by this album. to my partner's credit, this is not his favorite of their work, so maybe i will give the rest of their music a try eventually, but for now that was very mid (aside from the perfection that is island in the sun) and i'd give the album 2.7/5 stars.

[paperanddice]

Paper Drake

The magical evolution of paper drakes is a mystery. They originate from a land where paper first became more common than vellum and parchment. It seems, awkwardly, that they have edited their own history from all records, making detailed knowledge of them quite rare. They are a bane of historians and spellcasters, removing ink from pages by eating and leaving nothing behind. In other cases, they will compulsively correct errors in text or speech, which means that when bribed well they can perform editing for scribes, allowing mistakes to be fixed by removing ink.

Some paper drakes have been tattooed with magical runes, which grant them greater and more esoteric abilities, such as stamping text or images with their feet, manipulating images, and even erasing memories of written words from the mind.

In their regular form, paper drakes are about four feet in length, and are incredibly light at an average of 30 pounds. They are white or tan when young, and develop a brown or yellow tone as they age, liked aged paper.

Inspired by the Tome of Beasts 1. This post came out a week ago on my Patreon. If you want to get access to all my monster conversions early, as well as access to my premade adventures and other material I’m working on, consider backing me there!

Pathfinder 2e

Paper Drake Creature 2 Small, Dragon Perception +7; darkvision Languages Common, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven Skills Acrobatics +7, Stealth +7, History Lore +10 Str -2, Dex +3, Con +3, Int +0, Wis +1, Cha +1 AC 17; Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +5 HP 22; Immunities paralyzed, sleep Speed 40 feet, fly 100 feet Melee fangs +9 (finesse), Damage 1d8+2 piercing Melee tail +9 (agile, finesse, reach 10 feet), Damage 1d6+2 slashing plus Knockdown Draconic Frenzy [2 actions] The paper drake makes one fangs Strike and two tail Strikes in any order. Refold [1 action] (concentration) The paper drake refolds its body into a new shape. It can increase or decrease its size by one category, to a minimum of Tiny, or a maximum of Medium. Its stats don't change when it changes its size. It can also fold itself into a flat form that it can use to hide itself on a bookshelf or among other books. It has an automatic result of 17 on Deception checks and DCs to pass itself as just a book or sheaf of paper. While disguised as a book, its speed becomes 5 feet, fly 5 feet.

13th Age

Paper Drake 2nd level troop [dragon] Initiative: +7 Paper Cut +7 vs. AC – 5 damage. Natural 16+: The target also takes 3 ongoing damage. Flyer. Limited Escalator: The paper drake adds half the escalation die to its attacks. Speed Surge: 1/battle, the paper drake can move as a quick action. It doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks and can’t be intercepted when it moves this way. AC 18 PD 16 MD 13 HP 30

[deusvervewrites]

MLA Yaoyorozu: I just had this mental image of the final battle between Momo and Izuku being treated similar to the Moriarty Vs. Holmes fight/chess game in Game of Shadows, however, instead of the symbolism of a chess or shogi match, the game is go with it's greater focus on marking territory as well as the fact that higher level play is about making patterns rather than hyper focusing on invading/defending territory.

Also, at the point of the climax, Momo declares that she's won because their knockdown, drag out fight just proves her point to which Izuku just smiles saying, "But I'm just the distraction."

I love all of this

[deusexlachina]

Antisocial DAO Part 4 (Tower of Ishal): Meet the first two party members I respect

In which I forge a friendship with the bravest humans I have known: Soldier and Tower Guard.

Me and Alistair are given one job: Go to the Tower of Ishal and light a fire to signal Loghain's loyal troops to heroically save us. Unfortunately, darkspawn start besieging the bridge to the Tower, much as I burn bridges with those around me.

At the tower, I find two young men named "Soldier" and "Tower Guard." These are curious names, but I'm glad to meet some new companions. I can't wait to bond with them at camp!

For the first time, I have a full party, and here I will note that there are two ways of playing Dragon Age. One possibility is just to control your character and let your party's AI handle everything else. This is relatively immersive, and it's viable because this game has an excellent AI-crafting mechanic that is refined in DA2 and...is completely dropped in Inquisition.

The other way is to play it as Real-Time Tactics, using hotkeys to switch around who you're controlling. You can even click and drag, or press ctrl-A, to select everyone, in case you really want this story-rich medieval fantasy to have that Starcraft feel to it. I started the game with the first style, but I've moved on to the second due to the difficulty spike.

The Tower of Ishal is one of the hardest levels of the game for a number of reasons. You have at most one mage (the best class by a large margin), and it's too early for any of the really good builds to come online. Soldier and Tower Guard are also quite weak people. Nonetheless, I respect them more than Alistair: they do not judge me for my foreign ways, frightening magic, or the Miasma which follows my body everywhere. I will have to find non-combat roles for them later in the game. I don't need social skills to impress them. They fight by my side without a word.

There's a room in the Tower where you can free several dogs to help in the fight. They don't follow you further into the Tower. But darkspawn do follow you, and they will follow you right into a room full of hungry dogs. I repeat this process of luring enemies into Dog Range, slowly advancing my menacing battle line of pets.

I then meet the dogs' one weakness: area transitions. I will have to leave these good boys behind. Which is a shame, because I'm about to meet the reason this Tower is so hard: the Ogre.

The Ogre can fatally grab any of you in melee range, which would be bad if three of your party members were melee fighters. It also has AOE attacks with knockdown and preposterously large hitboxes - with its sinister powers, it can ram you without being anywhere near you. I Paralyze it as much as possible, which is very little, since it usually resists.

I must use the elusive tactics of the Dalish. That is, I run away almost the entire fight and hope it doesn't ram me while my redshirts try to backstab it and hope it doesn't turn around and grab them.

After a long fight, the Ogre has nearly killed me, Alistair and Tower Guard, but Soldier charges forward and deals the killing blow, getting an amazing animation where he knocks down the Ogre, jumps on it and stabs it in the heart.

I like this animation better than his usual one where he flails with his sword and somehow misses a huge Ogre right in front of him. It's a much better trick, this one. I wish he'd led with it. Nonetheless, Soldier has earned my respect. He may be a human, but his bravery and loyalty have carried us to victory. I would be proud to have him join me in my quest, along with his brother-in-arms, Tower Guard.

Unfortunately, they both die in a cutscene immediately.

RIP Soldier and Tower Guard

[ustalav]

OCs as a boss battle in response to the post made by @demandthedoodles that I am still thinking about

Muren is tearing your shit up. She is very fast, deals lots of damage, can take lots of damage. You better be RUNNING and have a solid tank.

Grant is a mage so a little squishy but he is Force/Spirit Healer combo so he can heal himself several times throughout the fight and he will be knocking you down a Lot then throwing fireballs. Gotta be prepared for those knockdowns, don't group the whole party together, etc

Gideon, my lovely golden child, is a support character. His response to being attacked is to fade step the fuck away from them. He is running from you and trying to boost his attack but he is the squishiest of squishies. Although if he's got the focus for those fade rift abilities he Will be using them so LOOK OUT but he's probably dead by the time it gets to that.

Faron is an artificer so like... bombs! A lot of bombs and stealth and backstabbing. You just gotta land a hit though bc he is a glass cannon.

[anotherwvba]

Road to the Women's Circuit pt. 8

It was tense in the WVBA Omni Arena as Niki and Cutie stood in their respective corners, waiting for the bell to signal the start of the final round. 

Niki's mind raced. I’ve got to knock you out to win. I’ve got to find something you’ll never see coming. Besties or not, I’m coming for you.

Across the ring, Cutie noticed the intense look in Niki's eyes. You’re planning something. I can see it in your eyes. This is my fight, watashi no shin'yū.

The bell rang, and the crowd erupted, sensing that something extraordinary was about to happen.

Both fighters moved to the center of the ring, locking eyes, touching gloves. "May the best woman win," Niki said, a mix of competitiveness and friendship in her voice.

"And let’s leave it all in the ring," Cutie replied, her voice tinged with the warmth of their friendship.

They circled each other, Niki's eyes darting, trying to get a quick read on Cutie's movements. Cutie, aware of Niki's analytical mind, tried to control the ring, keeping her distance and using her jab to maintain space.

Seizing an opportunity, Cutie launched into a combo—a jab to the face, followed by a hook to the body, and then an uppercut aimed at Niki's chin. But Niki was ready. She bobbed under the jab, sidestepped the hook, and leaned back just enough to let the uppercut whizz past her face.

Capitalizing on the moment, Niki leaned into a counter—a right hook aimed right at Cutie's jaw. But Cutie was too quick; she leaned back, letting the punch sail harmlessly past her face.

Cutie's eyes narrowed. In a flash, she pivoted on her back foot and threw a quick, hard counter—a left hook that connected squarely with Niki's jaw. It was a flash knockdown; Niki's gloves touched the canvas before she even knew what had happened.

The referee moved in, checking on Niki, who shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "You good?" he asked.

"I'm good," Niki replied, her voice steady.

"Box!" the referee ordered, and the two women circled each other once more.

Okay, that happened, Niki thought, her mind recalibrating. Now or never. No holding back.

Cutie's thoughts were equally intense. She’s not hurt, she's desperate. Desperate fighters are dangerous.

And Cutie was right. Niki moved in fast, surprising Cutie with her aggression. She threw a jab followed by a quick right cross. Cutie slipped the jab, but took the cross on her shoulder. She quickly regained her composure as the crowd roared, sensing that the climax of this epic battle was rapidly approaching.

Niki felt a surge of adrenaline. She lunged forward again, fists zeroing in on targets. Cutie slipped another quick jab, but another right cross found her temple and a left hook hit her hard in the ribs.

Cutie's mind raced as she bobbed and weaved, her gloves up. She's coming at me hard. I need to find an opening, counter and slow her down.

Seizing what she thought was a momentary lapse in Niki's offense, Cutie threw a counter right hook. But Niki was too quick, ducking under the punch and landing a clean uppercut that rocked Cutie, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Niki's heart pounded in her chest. This is it. This is my chance. She felt a tingling sensation in her gloves. She was gaining momentum.

Without a second thought, Niki unleashed a flurry of punches on her stunned friend. A jab to the face, a right cross to the chest, another jab, a left hook, and finally a devastating uppercut that nearly lifted Cutie off her feet. After the third punch, her gloves started to glow, the neon green light pulsing with each landed blow.

Seeing Cutie still stunned, Niki knew it was time for her signature move—the System Crash. She stepped back and smirked. "Blue Screen Inbound!"

The taunt snapped Cutie out of her daze. Her eyes widened, and she dodged just in time, avoiding the devastating punch aimed at her solar plexus. Niki's gloves flashed "503! Punch Unavailable!" and the neon glow flickered out, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Niki's thoughts spiraled. No, no, no! How did I miss that?

Cutie, on the other hand, felt a surge of relief and opportunity. She's stunned. It's my turn now.

Wasting no time, Cutie unleashed her own flurry of punches. A jab, a cross, another jab, a hook, an uppercut, and a devastating right straight. Blazing brush strokes started glowing around her gloves as she continued her assault, backing Niki into a corner with a series of well-placed punches.

Niki snapped out of her stun. Her back was against the ropes, her breathing heavy, but her eyes were clear. Cutie closed in, her gloves pulsing with built-up power, “Here it comes, Niki. Ready or not.”

Niki's eyes narrowed, her mind racing. The Cutie Rush. I’ve got to stop it before she starts. She threw a left jab, aiming for Cutie's face. It was a desperate attempt to halt her friend's advance.

Cutie, however, was too quick. She slipped the jab, her body swaying with a dancer’s grace. Nice try, Niki, but I’ve seen that before. She suddenly countered with a right cross that connected squarely with Niki's jaw.

The impact reverberated through Niki's skull, leaving her stunned and vulnerable. "Guard up, Niki! She's coming for you!" Von Kaiser's voice echoed from her corner, tinged with a sense of urgency.

Cutie didn't waste a second. She launched into her signature Cutie Rush, her gloves a blur of red as they pummeled Niki's body. Left hook, right hook, left hook, right hook—nonstop. Each punch a brush stroke that threatened to drop Niki to the canvas again.

Niki's mind was a whirlpool of confusion and pain. She’s so fast. I need to guard, but where? Think, Niki, think! She tried to block the hooks, but her arms were sluggish, her reactions a step too slow. Each punch that landed felt like a hammer blow, draining her energy and resolve.

Cutie felt her gloves connect with Niki's ribs, Niki’s guard crumbling. This is it, Niki! She reared back, her right glove glowing brighter than ever, and unleashed the devastating overhand right that concluded her Cutie Rush.

The overhand right connected with a sickening thud, and Niki crumpled to the canvas, her eyes glazed over. Cutie briefly celebrated, her arms raised in triumph, before retreating to the opposite neutral corner. The glow around her gloves faded as she watched Niki with a mix of elation and concern.

Niki's thoughts were foggy, panicked, and confused. What just… where am I? Oh God, I'm on the canvas.

"Niki, you can do this! Get up!" Von Kaiser's voice pierced through the fog, pulling her back to reality.

Okay, down, not out. I’m still in this, Niki thought, her determination surging even as her body screamed in protest.

Stay down, Niki. You've fought well. You’ve got nothing to prove. Cutie bounced lightly on her toes in her corner, her eyes never leaving Niki. She smiled warmly as she saw Niki pushing herself off the mat. Of course, you are. What was I thinking?

With a monumental effort, Niki staggered to her feet at the count of eight. The referee checked her over, his eyes searching for any sign that she couldn't continue.

"I can fight," Niki insisted, her voice tinged with both pain and resolve, as she held up her gloves.

Cutie's heart swelled with pride as she saw her friend rise. Never back down. That’s why you’re my sessatakuma. Alright, Niki. Let’s go!

Niki steadied herself, shaking off the fog and the pain. Cutie banged her gloves together. Niki found her feet. The two friends locked eyes across the ring and smiled at one another.

"Box!" the ref ordered.

"Finish it, Cutie! She's hurt!" Hurricane's voice rang out from Cutie's corner, snapping her back into fight mode.

Niki braced herself, her legs still wobbly. Do something, Niki. Can't just be a punching bag. Throw something back, make her think twice.

Cutie darted forward, her eyes locked onto Niki's. She threw a quick left jab followed by a right hook. Niki, running on pure instinct, faded from the jab, ducked under the hook, and threw a hard counter right uppercut.

Cutie saw it coming.

She leaned back just in time, the uppercut missing her by inches. Seizing the moment, she countered with a swift left hook that connected with Niki's temple.

Not good. Not again, Niki thought as her vision blurred.

Cutie's eyes widened. I've got her.

With a burst of speed, Cutie unleashed a barrage of punches. A right to the body, a left hook to the head, another right to the body, and then a crushing right uppercut. Each punch was a symphony of power and precision, and Niki could do little but try to guard.

"Come on, Niki! Guard up! Move!" Von Kaiser's voice was almost drowned out by the roar of the crowd.

But Cutie was relentless. She saw Niki's guard begin to falter and went for the finish. A left hook to the liver, and a right cross to the face. 

"Yatta!" Cutie shouted, her voice tinged with triumph, as she finished with a devastating left uppercut that lifted Niki off her feet and sent her crashing to the canvas for the third time this round.

The referee immediately waved off the fight, signaling a technical knockout. The bell rang as the crowd erupted into cheers and boos, a mix of elation for the victor and sympathy for the fallen.

Cutie looked across the ring at Niki. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the noise of the crowd faded away, leaving only the two of them in their silent world.

Niki looked up from the canvas and smiled, her eyes meeting Cutie's. She gave a slight nod.

Cutie's face broke into a radiant smile. With a shout of pure elation, she raised her gloves to the sky and jumped into the arms of her coach, Piston Hurricane, who had climbed into the ring to celebrate with her. “I did it, Coach ‘Cane! I did it!”

"¡Si chica! Si" Hurricane exclaimed, hoisting her to his shoulders and parading her around the ring. “You did it, mija!”

Meanwhile, Von Kaiser was helping Niki to sit up. Niki looked up, her eyes still a bit foggy but her spirit unbroken. "Coach. The next time I fight Cutie, I'm getting the win. You’ll see."

“I know you will, Wenig Stahl,” Von Kaiser said with pride, his hand on Niki’s shoulder.

“Wenig Stahl?” Niki’s eyes narrowed. “Little Steel? Coach… that’s…” Niki’s eyes got misty as her coach smiled.

“You showed your steel tonight,” Von Kaiser beamed at his protege. “I am proud of you.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, at 2 minutes, 28 seconds of the third round, referee Luigi Saltamico calls a halt to the action. Your winner by technical knockout… ‘Kawaii Geijutsuka’... Cutie… Hondo!”

The referee raises Cutie’s hand as the crowd goes wild, shouting their approval for both girls and a hard fought bout.

As Niki finally stood, Cutie approached, her eyes meeting Niki's. Without a word, they hugged tightly, the tension of the fight melting away in that embrace.

"You were amazing out there,” Niki said, pulling back from the hug. “Did I do good? Was I a good sessatakuma?"

Cutie looked into Niki's eyes, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You were more than that, Niki. You were incredible. But, the idea of sessatakuma is mutual. It's about pushing each other to be better, to reach new heights. Would you consider me as your sessatakuma?"

Niki’s eyes welled up and tears began to flow, “Of course, Kyoko. I’d be honored.”

Cutie's eyes mirrored Niki's emotion. "Then it's settled. We're not just friends or rivals; we're sessatakuma. You know what? We should celebrate!”

Niki grinned. "Only if you’re buying!"

They hugged again, laughter mingling with the lingering adrenaline.

"We've got the tournament next," Cutie said, her voice tinged with excitement.

"And I can't wait," Niki responded, her voice filled with anticipation.

Cutie looked into Niki's eyes, still holding her in a hug. "Promise me we'll fight again in this ring."

Niki grinned. "I promise. But next time, I'm knocking you out."

Cutie laughed. "Oh, Niki, I'd like to see you try."

Still holding each other, they turned to the crowd. Cutie raised her arms and shouted, "This is just the beginning! You haven't seen the last of us!"

As they stood there, basking in the cheers of the crowd and their hard-fought friendship, both knew... this really was just the beginning.

[radiant-future]

Se'arah (GAMEPLAY)

Se'arah covers the shoto archetype, as one might expect given they're the main character. Se'arah's gender can be chosen by the player, but has no bearing on gameplay.

Se'arah's stated class is Wanderer, changing to Dark Hero after a certain point in the story, and he/she wields a sword in an improvised fighting style that incorporates street brawling. He/she has a Movement of 5 by default. His/her Map Action is Rally Spectrum, increasing the attack, defense, and in-battle ground speed of all allies within 3 spaces when used.

Se'arah's Creature is a Tiger, built into a shape resembling a four-wheeled buggy.

Se'arah's battle stance is a made-up one that is humanly possible but very impractical for fighting, with his/her sword raised in his/her left hand to be nearly even with his/her head, as if perpetually readying a stab forwards, while his/her right arm crosses over his/her body defensively.

For Se'arah's "entrance animation" in battle, he/she walks in while twirling his/her sword, stopping with it in his/her battle stance. His/her taunt is a fancy shuffle in place on his/her feet while saying a quip to his/her opponent.

Se'arah has four choices of weapon, like most characters, but a fifth one is obtained in the story and can be used in multiplayer upon completing the story.

Silver Sword: The basic all-rounder. Is Silver by default in PVP, but starts as an Iron Sword and can be upgraded to Silver in Story Mode.

Killing Edge: Overall less damage, but increases the Skill Gauge gain per hit. Can be upgraded to Slaying Edge in Story Mode, but remains a Killing Edge in PVP.

Brave Sword: A noob's weapon of choice, this weapon has mostly the same stats as the Silver Sword, but grants a few autocombos that deal less damage and grant less reward than performing the same combos manually would, like Dragon Ball FighterZ autocombos.

Firesweep Sword: A hyper risk/reward sword. The Firesweep Sword has the most damage of any sword and can break guards, but if a foe initiates combat, your own attacks are disabled for the first 10 seconds of the round, so you cannot fight back for a third of the engagement. As a saving grace, if you have a Turbo Mode effect active, it won't start depleting until you can attack again.

Alondite: Substantially slows down the frame data of all of Se'arah's sword attacks, but has comparable damage to the Firesweep Sword, doesn't lose any combos, and changes his/her Sword Wave from a grounded shockwave to a large multi-hit sword beam.

Now, on to Se'arah's actual moveset.

Universal Normals: 5L: A backfist with his/her right hand. 5M: A swipe of his/her sword across his/her shoulder. 5H: A meaty overhead sword swing. 5S: A forward-stepping stab.

2L: A swift crouching side kick. 2M: A crouching sweep kick. 2H: An overhead sword arc, think Ike up smash. 2S: A jumping uppercut that brings Se'arah into the air, allows him/her to combo into a jumping attack on hit.

j.L: A diagonal downwards elbow swing. j.M: A diagonal heel kick. j.H: An overhead sword swing that delivers a hard knockdown. j.S: A circular sword swing that covers a full 360º area. 6S (Advancing Overhead): A lunging bash with the hilt of his/her sword. 4S (Retreating Low): Se'arah drops on his/her back and thrusts both feet out before curling up his/her legs, rolling backwards, and rising to his/her feet. Sk (Throw): Se'arah swings his/her right arm up and out, then drives his/her hand forward to grab the foe. On success, he/she knees the foe away with a forward or up input, sweeps their legs out from under them with a backward or down input, or hurls them straight down if he/she is airborne.

Command Normals: 6M/Right Stick Forward: A hilt bash with Se'arah's sword in reverse grip. j.2L/Right Stick Down (stick input automatically shorthops): A divekick with substantial hitstun to lead into grounded combos.

Specials:

236L/M/H: Quick Draw - Se'arah dashes forward with a wide sword swing. Light is about the same distance as 5S, Medium is slow but travels further, and Heavy has him/her freeze in place for a bit before dashing the fastest and furthest.

236S: Sword Wave - Se'arah rakes his/her sword against the ground, slinging a shockwave as a standard Hadoken-esque projectile. In his/her Alondite variation, this attack is changed to a sword beam with slower startup but a faster and stronger projectile.

214L/M/H: Sol - Se'arah performs a leaping crescent slash, the archetypal Dragon Punch. Medium rises higher than Light, while Heavy has him/her arc backwards through the air once the attack is no longer active, letting him/her avoid an anti-air punish.

214S: Patience - A parry. Se'arah crosses his/her sword over his/her chest in a reverse grip, and if struck, he/she can immediately perform any move and it will start on its first frame with an active hitbox.

Skills:

236Sk: Luna - Se'arah raises his/her sword high before swinging it in a crescent arc. If this attack hits a blocking foe, it breaks their guard, staggering them. If used in the air, Se'arah plummets toward the ground with a sword hitbox all the way down. Sol can combo into Luna even if it misses, which grants no special properties but creates a sequence of movements near-identical to the iconic Aether.

214Sk: Eruption - Se'arah throws his/her sword, which flies toward the foe's current position, then rushes to catch it and makes an omnidirectional blast of wind (fire in Alondite variation) upon reaching it.

Critical Strike: 41236Sk: Renegade Aether - Se'arah pulls his/her sword all the way back and lifts his/her front leg, shouts:

"I'm done with you!"

"It's OVER!"

"Your life is mine!"

"Underestimated me!"

He/she then lunges with a slight jump to stab it forward. On hit, he/she impales the foe and swings them over his/her own shoulder, then back around in circles like a windmill, scraping them against the ground repeatedly, before flinging them into the air and bringing them back down in a plummeting slash. In his/her Alondite variation, the final impact makes a fiery explosion.

[rmfantasysetpieces1]

Coupe de France Reims vs Angers Copa Del Rey Atletico MAdrid vs FC Barcelona

Coupe de FRance Reims vs Angers

I love le Coupe, it is my favorite cup tournament in a football association. all teams participate, no restrictions. thousands of teams, I love the honesty. Most cups aren't used properly. The point of cup tournaments which started in england with the FA cup is to be a space where all teams in an FA have a chance to compete with each other.

circa 25th minute

Excellent, the ref is right, if you look at Angers, Reims, the angers player didn't hit the ball with his outstretched hand, the ball hit his hand next to his body. Excellent call, the video assisted refs are blind in this game

79th minute

the first goal reims has scored since the new coach , nakamura, ito with the assist. ANgers are battlers

82nd Niang has to score that, no excuse, no excuse

last minute of the game the 95th minute! great knockdown from 27 of Anger, Bamba Diang score! to penalties

I am not watching penalties

Copa del Rey atleti vs barca

Alvarez scored in the first minute, griezzman in the 6th and then with a 2-0 lead, atleti defense was unable to stop barca who went into run and gun mode and pedri + cubarsi scored. so again, atleti have to defend better, we can't let a 2-0 lead go like this. And I comprehend the challenge.

Well we will see. Atletico Madrid have battles from now to the beginning of march. every match is a battle, every match situation is to the next, handle it , act, onto the next

circa 25th

statistically Atletico madrid is the bet defensive team in laliga, over the course of the laliga season but barca is the strongest goal scoring side in laliga as well

atleti don't bunker like in the past, simeone has slowly in these ten years changed atleti's style of play, atleti play an open style, this allows for the false 9 system more goals but provides problems defensively, because when you play an open system, you need great athletes, like real madrid who play open but have in recovery , Valverde/Camavinga/Fran Garcia/Tchouameni these players have the athletic ability to recover. whereas atleti don't have anyone in midfield or defense like that, this is why the bunker is a better system for our athletic level but simeone has tried to get the team to be as sharp in skill as possible

circa 40th

in parallel barca play a high speed attacking system, they press at the halfway mark. It is a run and gun system this is why whenever they lose the ball you see the whole barca team run back as hard as they can. The idea is to knock the wind out of teams early, the problem is if they don't knock teams out early , or they get scored on early with a team able to bunker well, then they are winded in the second half and all sorts of problems can arise. but the young attackers have succeeded in punching teams out

halftime

no lyonga, simeone is playing barrios + gallagher who got a red card in a league match. Simeone is playing his rotation, he has done it all season. Gallagher passes backwards usualy. Barrios is young. If simeone doesn't rotate now after rotating all season he losses the lockerroom

it's not the same simply because simeone has rotated like this all season. Carlo isn't a heavy rotater so he is rotating now late in the season from circumstance, simeone has rotated all season like this

Oblak is the best keeper atletico madrid have but simeone for quite a few seaons plays the rotations, I saw this in the last three seasons. Maybe you haven't noticed. and i comprehend his reasoning. the point of rotation is fitness/health. Oblak can't play every game. He can't and giving musso/gallagher/barrios starts is what the rotation is for, show what you can do, and Simeone will more than likely make one shift halftime and then circa 70th the three like all season. I comprehend what you are saying, but... the players know his rotation, they expect to play, if he just says, i am going to change my mind that is bad coaching.

55th minute

phase 2 , simeone has done this a lot this season , the three phases

IN: Reinildo & Lino OUT: Galán & Giuliano Gonzaleznow mor speed with Lino. Reinildo better defensive support

60th minute, Molina in gallagher out arguably he has put better players in skill wise but players who are less athletically able

68th minute

IN: Correa & Sørloth OUT: De Paul & Griezmann

the beast is in

100% barca is tired, and llorente scores making is 4-3 time to equalize or win it, fire in the belly

in the 88th minute Raphinha + Pedri are out, raphinha balances for yamal + lewandowski while pedri often is the sole player truly possessiin in the attacking system so barca is going for the one goal lead

THE BEAST!

TRabzonspor!!! the beast!!!

I love himi never forget his time in the turkish super lig for trabzonspor, anyone else remember him then... sorloth is for me, lovely

great game, atleti!!! good half, all to play for in the next half, no problem, onto Bilbao, must win, good rest for lino/oblak/reinildo the rotation has worked all season, no excuse alteti had more chances to score, alvarez, no excuse baby

#rmsoccer